Federal Member for Canning, Andrew Hastie will officially open centre to support veterans on Monday, 24 October

Centre is delivered by veteran organisation Soldier On

Centre is named after Trooper Jason Brown, who was from the Special Air Service Regiment and killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010

Andrew Hastie and CEO of Soldier On, John Bale will be available for interview at the opening

The theme of Veterans’ Health Week is social connectivity

Federal Member for Canning, Andrew Hastie will today officially open a not-for-profit centre in Perth, which supports serving and ex-serving men and women successfully transition from the military to civilian life.

Delivered by veteran organisation Soldier On, the Jason Brown Reintegration and Recovery Centre will provide direct access to a range of support, services, resources and opportunities to veterans and their families in the Perth area.

“It’s an honour to be included in the opening of this excellent facility. The Jason Brown Recovery and Reintegration Centre will honour the memory of one of our fallen soldiers. It will provide hope, community and a pathway for veterans who are carrying physical, emotional and mental scars from their service in the Australian Defence Force.

“Importantly, ‘Soldier On’ was started by volunteers and that means veterans and families will be cared for by people who are truly committed to their recovery and transition back into Australian society. ‘Soldier On’ delivers personalised, local solutions to veterans and families in a way that is sensitive to their experiences in the ADF,” Mr Hastie said.

The official opening of the centre today, which is during Veterans’ Health Week, marks Soldier On’s continued efforts to provide veterans and their families with mental health support, social inclusion activities and programs, and employment, training and education support services. These services are aimed to heal the physical and mental scars that are often left after their time in service and help them forge new careers once they leave the military.

Soldier On Co-Founder and CEO, John Bale – a veteran himself – said the organisation’s mission is to reintegrate our servicemen and women into civilian life better than any previous generation in Australia’s history.

“When servicemen and women separate from the armed forces, either by choice or at the request of the defence force, in the blink of an eye they have lost their identity, purpose, career and best mates. That’s where we come in.”

“Veterans will have access a range of services through our Jason Brown Reintegration and Recovery Centre in Perth, including mental health support through free counselling sessions with our psychologist as well as activities and programs to help veterans reconnect with themselves, their loved ones and the wider community.”

“We will also soon be launching transition services, and, through this new centre, veterans will have access to our transition support officers in other parts of the country, who will help them leverage existing skillsets for civilian employment, identify gaps in their skillsets and identify appropriate training, education and career development opportunities to forge new career paths.”

Since Soldier On was established four-and-a-half years ago, it has assisted hundreds of veterans across Australia, with support centres in Canberra, Currumbin, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.

“I look forward to seeing the WA veteran community flourishing with the assistance of the Jason Brown Reintegration and Recovery Centre,” Mr Hastie said.

The centre is named after fallen serviceman, Trooper Jason Brown, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010. Trooper Brown was from the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment. He joined the Army on 13 June, 2000 and following Recruit and Initial Employment Training, Trooper Brown was posted to the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. In 2004 he joined the 4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (Commando). On successful completion of the 2007 Selection Course, Trooper Brown became a member of the Special Air Service Regiment.